Kellwood Company Agrees to Conduct Cleanup at the Riverfront Superfund Site in New Haven, Mo.

(Kansas City, Kan., July 10, 2012) - Kellwood Company has entered into a settlement with EPA and the State of Missouri, to clean up contamination associated with its former metal fabrication plant in New Haven, Mo.

The settlement requires Kellwood to clean up soils and ground water contaminated with tetrachloroethylene, also known as PCE, a common industrial degreaser, at what is known as the Riverfront Superfund Site, Operable Units 2 and 6. Kellwood has also agreed to pay past and future response costs incurred by EPA and the State of Missouri associated with those two Operable Units (OUs).

“The signed agreement reflects the commitment EPA has to holding polluters accountable for their actions in order to protect human health and the environment,” EPA Region 7 Administrator Karl Brooks said. “I commend Kellwood for voluntarily entering into this agreement and taking responsibility for their past actions in the community of New Haven.”

The Riverfront Superfund Site was listed on EPA’s National Priorities List (NPL) in 2000 and consists of six Operable Units. Operable Unit 2 is the site of a former metal fabrication plant, owned and operated by Kellwood from approximately 1973 until 1985. Operable Unit 6 is the ground water contaminant plume emanating from OU 2 which has contaminated residential drinking water wells in the area. Kellwood has supplied whole house water filtration systems for the affected homes.

In 2011, EPA issued a Record of Decision setting forth the remedial actions to be taken at OUs 2 and 6.